Evidence of paleoecological changes and Mousterian occupations at the Galería de las Estatuas site, Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Iberian plateau, Spain

A newly discovered site, Galería de las Estatuas (GE), within the Sierra de Atapuerca archaeological complex, provides significant evidence of Neanderthal occupation and paleoecological changes during the Mousterian period in northern Iberia. Radiocarbon dating indicates human presence older than 45,140 years ago, while palynological analysis reveals a shift to increased tree coverage, suggesting a warming episode. The site's sedimentary sequence contains rich faunal and lithic assemblages, with taphonomic analysis pointing to both anthropogenic and carnivore activities. This discovery expands our understanding of Neanderthal behavior and environmental adaptation in Western Europe, underscoring the importance of Atapuerca as a key location for studying human evolution.

Arsuaga, J. L., Gómez-Olivencia, A., Sala, N., Martínez-Pillado, V., Pablos, A., Bonmatí, A., Pantoja-Pérez, A., Lira-Garrido, J., Alcázar de Velasco, A., Ortega, A. I., Cuenca-Bescós, G., García, N., Aranburu, A., Ruiz-Zapata, B., José Gil-García, M., Rodríguez-Álvarez, X. P., Ollé, A., & Mosquera, M. (2017). Evidence of paleoecological changes and Mousterian occupations at the Galería de las Estatuas site, Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Iberian plateau, Spain. Quaternary Research, 88(2), 345–367. https://doi.org/10.1017/qua.2017.46